Safu's Confession Advice
by Serene Ice Dragon
Summary: Shion is having trouble figuring out just what he and Nezumi are. Safu decides that she needs to step in and help her dear friend finally confess his feelings to Nezumi in a way that Nezumi is going to understand. Alternate timeline, post-anime.
1. Challenge Accepted

_Author's Note: So I noticed a lot of people seem to hate Safu for some strange reason, complaining she "gets between" Shion and Nezumi when she never does any such thing. Sure, she likes Shion, but she realizes he doesn't like her in the same way and she never tries to force him to like her. With the thought that she would probably rather help Shion and Nezumi's relationship rather than hurt it, this fic was born. It will be a collection of one-shots that may or may not tie into one-another, all about Safu trying to help Shion confess his true feelings to Nezumi in a way that Nezumi will understand. Please note that this fic takes place in an alternate timeline, assuming that Safu was somehow able to return after becoming Elyurias. Don't think too much about it, it's just supposed to be funny. I hope you enjoy!_

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The cafe was quiet and comfortable. It was late in the afternoon, and there weren't more than a handful of patrons. Two of them- a boy and a girl- sat at the bar by the windows which looked out onto the street. The place was familiar for them, somewhere they liked to chat together when they had the time to relax and nowhere important to be. These days, it was even more special.

Shion had almost lost Safu. He had risked his, Nezumi's, and even Rikiga and Inukashi's lives to save her. After they had found she had become Elyurias, Shion had lost all hope that he'd ever see her again. While Safu being a vessel for Elyurias had allowed the queen to destroy No. 6 as it was and thus save many lives- both present and future- he still couldn't help but wish he could have done something else to save Safu. After all, she was a dear friend to him that he never wanted to lose.

Then, miraculously, she had come back. Elyurias knew of the struggles that the brave young souls had faced, and she knew of how deeply Safu and Shion cared for one another. As a sort of thank-you for what they had done, Elyurias had found a way to return the bright young woman to her previous state. At this, Shion had been overjoyed. Losing Safu had been like losing his dear sister, and getting her back had been a wonderful gift.

Now, they sat together again, in the same chairs of the same cafe they had talked in shortly before Shion had been arrested and his whole world turned inside-out. It had been a couple weeks since the incident, and the two were finally getting some quiet time to catch up.

"You know, that shade really does look good on you." Safu said, eying Shion's hair. "I mean, usually people don't like white, but yours is...different. It's so shiny, and still retains its youthfulness despite its lack of pigmentation." She knew how mean people could be, and wasn't sure if Shion got bothered for his new hair color by the people of No. 6. She had always been teased for her clothing at school, but Shion had been the one person to compliment it, and in complete earnestness too. She wanted to make sure that he wasn't bothered by being so physically different than everyone else.

"Oh, thanks. Nezumi said the same thing. A lot of people in West Block did, actually."

Safu put her cup of tea down and looked Shion directly in the eyes. "Nezumi is the one you have been after this whole time, isn't he?"

Shion gave her a baffled look. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb with me. Even before you got arrested and had your grand adventures with him, you were thinking about him."

At this, the boy averted his gaze. "Oh, um...well, yeah, he was the person I was thinking about..."

"Don't you turn away from me! I want you to look me in the eye and say it!" Safu said in a louder tone as she leaned in closer to Shion, who leaned back in attempt to keep a distance from her.

"S-Safu, people are going to start staring!"

The girl sat back in her chair with a huff. "Can't even admit it!"

"Admit what?"

Safu stared Shion in the eye again with her unrelenting gaze. "You are head-over-heels hopelessly infatuated with him!"

Shion felt his face heat up. "Wh-what?!"

"You heard me. It's obvious! Just look at your cheeks! They are turning as red as a cherry! You wouldn't be blushing if it wasn't true, nor would you be averting your gaze. You know you can't fool me. There are far too many physiological signs to deny it!"

"You're right about that- there's no fooling you, Safu." Shion laughed lightly before his smile slowly faded. "I guess...I don't know if I'd call it infatuation, but he's important to me. There's so much I've learned from him...so much I didn't know about myself until I spent time with him, so much I never would have known about if I had just lived out my days in No. 6. I don't know what to call it, but he's a very important person to me."

Safu watched as a gentle smile formed on his lips as he talked about Nezumi, listened to the tone of his voice. She knew she was right. The person Shion was in love with was most certainly Nezumi, whether he had been able to identify the type of love it was or not. It hadn't been the first time he'd mentioned Nezumi since she'd come back either. They had been off-hand comments, but it was clear that Nezumi never left his mind. This boy from the West Block had completely captured Shion.

Knowing this, and seeing how Shion would act as he talked about Nezumi almost made Safu want to cry. She wanted Shion more than anything. There was nobody she loved more, and she would be perfectly happy to selfishly keep him all to herself. Knowing that he didn't feel the same way hurt. Knowing that he felt as strongly about somebody else as she did for him was heart-breaking, and she knew that it wasn't going to change. They just weren't going to be together.

Despite this, Safu knew she still held a special place in Shion's heart, and for that, she was still grateful, even if a small part of her was shattered because of it. And, because she loved Shion so dearly, she wanted him to be happy. She knew Nezumi had protected Shion with his life. This strange boy from the West Block had supported and saved the life of the Shion she loved and cared for so much. So, she could deal with the fact he was the one who Shion loved. After all, she had the privilege of being with him again after she thought she would never be able to see his face or hear his voice ever again. She could still spend this time alone with him, touch his hand, hear his laugh. As long as she could still have a part of Shion's love for herself, then it would be okay. Besides, she wanted to see Shion happy, and if Nezumi was who made him happy, then so be it.

"You always were dense when it came to these things." Safu said with a slight smile. "Does he know?"

"Does he know what?"

"That you feel that way about him! I know you still don't know what you are even talking about, but _please_ tell me he isn't as dense as you are!"

"I...I don't know. It's really hard to tell with Nezumi sometimes. I know he cares, otherwise he wouldn't have saved my life, and so many times, but I don't know if..."

"If?"

"I guess...I don't know how else to reach out to him."

Safu gave a deep sigh and shook her head. She could only imagine Nezumi must be going through the same issues she had gone through with just how dense Shion always was."Shion, you clearly need some help, and I'm gonna be the one who gives it to you."

Shion's expression lightened. "Really? You'll help me with Nezumi?"

"Mhmm. I just can't stand to see you be so _clueless_ all the time. You just wait. With my help, you'll not only get your point across, but Nezumi will be all over that body of yours."

"Thanks, Safu! Wait...huh?"


	2. The Pocky Game

Shion stared at the box that Safu had shoved into his face, backing up slightly so that he could properly see what it was.

"Pocky?"

"Yep!"

"Does Nezumi really like it or something?"

Safu shrugged. "I don't know."

"Then how is it supposed to help me get closer to him?"

"You've never heard of the Pocky Game, have you?"

Shion thought for a moment. "No. What is it?"

"Not surprising. I learned about it when I was studying abroad. It's not something anybody in No. 6 does. The game is simple: You put a piece of Pocky in your mouth, only enough so that it doesn't fall out, like this," Safu opened the box, pulled out one of the sticks and stuck the tip between her teeth, letting the rest jut out toward Shion, then pulled it back out of her mouth to continue the explanation, "Then, the other person takes the other end. The two of you munch on the pocky, getting closer and closer, until either somebody pulls away, or there is none left to eat. Since most people don't like having their lips touch somebody else's who either aren't family or somebody they are romantically interested in, they pull away before that actually happens. But, it's a perfect opportunity to land a kiss with Nezumi! A good kiss is a great way to express your desires!"

Shion thought about it for a moment. He wasn't entirely sure how willing Nezumi would be to participate, or if he had ever heard of the game before. Though, it wouldn't be the first time he kissed Nezumi, and if he could beat Nezumi...

Yes, this sounded like a good idea. Any opportunity for him to show that he could be just as good as Nezumi was one he had to take. While it was just a little game, beating him would still prove something, and he intended to prove himself.

"I'll do it!"

The sun was beginning to set, and Karan had closed her bakery for the day. Nezumi, who occasionally came by to help out, was ready to head back home. Upon Shion's insistence, the two boys had walked together to the edge of No. 6, where they would part ways as Nezumi returned to West Block.

"I'm not entirely sure why you felt the need to walk me back, but here is where we part." Nezumi said as she stopped at the ruins of what was once the wall that isolated No. 6 from all other territories.

"Um, actually..." Shion pulled a box of Pocky from inside his coat. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before nodding to himself and opening the box determinedly. Confused, Nezumi watched as he pulled a stick of Pocky out, held the tip between his teeth, and leaned in towards Nezumi.

"What are you doing?"

"Pocky game!" Shion said through partially clenched teeth.

Nezumi smirked. "Oh, you know of it? Surprising, considering it's not something people would do in No. 6. Of course, it doesn't usually happen in West Block either, for obvious reasons, but I do know how it works. Are you sure you want to challenge me?"

Shion nodded and kept his eyes locked onto Nezumi's to show his determination.

"Alright. This will be amusing." Taking a couple of steps forward, Nezumi lightly bit onto the other end of the stick. For a moment, neither of them did anything. Realizing this was a challenge from Nezumi, Shion finally started munching on the pocky.

He chewed slowly, waiting to see if Nezumi was going to do anything. When Nezumi took a bite, Shion decided he had to pick up the pace. He had to prove he was no coward. By the time Nezumi had taken a second bite, Shion had already munched on a good portion of the pocky. As their noses touched, Shion made his decision. If he hesitated now, Nezumi would know, and then he would never be able to live it down.

The remaining bit of Pocky was claimed by Shion in one big bite. Their lips brushed together before Shion pulled back with a triumphant look on his face. Just to prove his point, he let a piece of the pocky poke out from between his lips, as if to show off his victory.

"Not bad. You certainly did better than I thought you would, but..." Nezumi smirked as he leaned closer, leaving their faces only inches apart. When he spoke again, his tone was much lower, almost a whisper, "I think you forgot who you challenged."

Before Shion could react, Nezumi closed the space between them, pressing their lips together. Shion suddenly found his still-intact piece of Pocky being coerced right out of his mouth. Both his body and brain seem to suddenly become paralyzed and unable to function. The Pocky had been all but forgotten about. The only thing that existed for that moment as far as Shion was concerned was Nezumi. He still hadn't quite processed what was going on when Nezumi pulled back, chewing on the biscuit that had been Shion's just a moment ago.

"Better luck next time."

Shion watched, dumbstruck, as Nezumi turned and walked away. It wasn't until Safu, who had been spying on the whole incident to make sure Shion was successful, walked up to him that he finally snapped out of it.

"That looked like a success from where I was. You must have given him quite the kiss for him to have come back for more."

"I... I lost..."

"Hm?"

"I lost the game, Safu."

"Shion, what are you talking about?"

"The Pocky Game. Nezumi took my Pocky from me. He got the last piece, which means I lost. I failed to prove myself! I thought I won for sure, but he still managed to beat me!"

This time, it was Safu who was staring in disbelief. "Shion, you idiot! It's not about who has the most Pocky in the end! You kissed him, didn't you?!"

"But I was supposed to prove that I could eat it without turning away, but, in the end, I was unable to do anything! I couldn't move, I couldn't think!"

Safu cried out in aggravation. How could her friend be that dense? After taking a deep breath to calm herself, she placed a hand on Shion's shoulder. "Shion, I want you to think about, and I mean really think about, what happened just now, then, when you figure it out, come back and tell me if you think you won. 'Kay?" She gave him a couple pats before she turned around and walked back into No. 6.

Shion watched as Safu also walked away, leaving him alone. He still wasn't entirely sure what was going on- as far as he had been concerned, the point of the game was to prove to Nezumi he wasn't just a coward. He wasn't even sure what Nezumi thought about the whole thing. Though, what he did know was that, if Nezumi was going to do that every time they played this Pocky Game, he would have to challenge Nezumi more often...


End file.
